Badminton England's plans for the sport's first UK national league competition is a positive way of sealing a post London 2012 legacy.
The first National Badminton League (NBL) season is due to begin in October and will comprise six franchises - albeit all from England.
The inaugural line up for the first season then sees university teams from Birmingham, Derby, Loughborough, Nottingham and Surrey compete with a Milton Keynes entry.
This promising new development for the sport in the UK, but the lack of geographical spread in the teams may limit popularity in the short term. With no teams from Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland initially, (the league is open to expansion in future seasons) it may be left to top players such as Imogen Bankier to bring in interest outside the franchise boundaries.
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| The first NBL starts in October |
A new, shorter format - Twenty20 style - will be used for the competition with matches both live on Sky Sports and streamed online globally.
While detailed coverage information is not yet confirmed, a Sky deal has good and bad points. The extra money from a satellite deal is always a bonus for a minority sport, but the lack of terrestrial presence - even on the red button - can not be offset by streaming.
Team GB Olympians and the cream of Team England and imported talent will be on show, and the chance to see future stars is made possible with the mandatory inclusion of two players under 21 in each eight person team. University players may also be used.
The decision to box off two slots in every team for young talent is a great way of attaining a working legacy in badminton following London 2012, creating stars of the future and inspiring young talent to pick up their shuttlecocks.
Initial reaction to the NBL's creation has been positive and if successful, it may become a blueprint for other sports to follow in future years.
Another positive decision is to implement a spending cap so franchises remain viable in the long term. This should create a more level playing field with teams unable to spend all their funds on one marquee signing after another.
Attention will now turn to June's player auction, with teams able to bid for their desired players, while bearing in mind the spending cap. Providing the action is exciting and the league does indeed expand outside it's current narrow catchment area, the NBL can only do good for the future of badminton in the UK.
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